Myths and Legends

The Terrible Terror

A myth submitted to the site by Jihyun Lee

Athens, Ancient Greece

In 3000BC (BCE) in Ancient Greece, there was a splendid city called Athens which was full of contented people. One day, there was an assembly in the agora. People were selling, customers were buying and women were talking. A displeased man was picking some fresh oranges and he was wild about the expensive prices. Women were carrying fragrant olive oils in their amphorae. Slaves were talking about how strict their masters were treating them and some were talking about the prices. Women were picking charming chitons. One man, who was having a haircut in the shade under the colonnades, was relaxing. The friendly barber was combing the man’s hair slowly. A man was paying with an electrum Greek coin. However, nobody knew about the terror that was on its way…

The Snakion was a lion. It was the strongest monster in Ancient Greece. He had the body of a lion, hair made of poisonous snakes and a bird’s wing. He wanted to attack Athens because a month before one man had stolen all of his gold and given it to the king. His breath was as revolting as a rotten fish lying in the sun for months. Anybody who touched the deadly paws of the monster would be dead! Its foot was as diminutive as an ant. If you looked into the creature’s eyes, it looked like a jaguar chasing a prey. His hair was as dangerous as a wild dog chasing you for a month. His behavior was as bad as a criminal running the king’s palace. (Very sneaky!)

As Snakion approached Athens with terror, soldiers were shooting arrows at the terrifying monster. People were screaming and panicking. Some women were carrying their babies and some food to survive. The bloodthirsty Snakion gobbled its head off. The blood was dripping everywhere in the village. Some people were hiding in their houses. Some poor families gathered together to not be dead. A lot of people were eaten by the nasty monster. The world of Athens had turned to debris. There was almost no fresh air to breathe. But somehow Snakion could still live. Some solders tried to kill it. but they couldn’t because they ran out of breath. The Snakion ate the solders that were attacking to get out of its way. So far nobody could kill it. Athens which was the most wonderful place in Ancient Greece, was ruined…

When the heroine Dina heard the news from her family that Athens was in danger, she decided to help. She had a gorgeous face, gleaming blue eyes, golden hair and a sapphire coloured chiton. Moreover, she had a secret weapon, which was a golden string. This was a gift from Aphrodite. Her parents gave it to her when she was a baby. Now her parents had to go to Athens because they had to work there. So she was alone in the house. She went to the temple of Athena and asked, "Will I be able to kill the monster? Will I survive?”
She went out and went home. She decided to go to Athens then. She packed the things that she needed. She hoped her things will come true. So she went off to Athens…

Dina was in Athens. The Snakion was there. Dina hid behind an amphora. When the Snakion wasn’t looking, she tried to cut his head off. But she missed. Her parents were watching. The Snakion saw her. It bit her leg. She tried her best to kill it. Her parents looked worried. She snapped one of its powerful wings. She was glad. The Snakion could still fly! So she snapped the other wing. Now he couldn’t fly. Next, she chopped its legs and hands. The Snakion couldn’t move. She saw her parents waving. The Snakion bit the other leg. Her tears were almost dripping. It was her last chance. She had to kill it. With her mighty strong arms she hacked the ribs. The monster was really horrible looking. She didn’t mind. She had won!

When Dina won she was proud. Everybody came out. The king of Athens also came out. The king was proud of Dina. He made Dina the queen of Athens and the king held a symposium for the queen of Athens. In the symposium, there were some acrobats doing a hand stand. The king was raising his cup for more wine. Dina was surrounded by people because she was the new queen. A slave was holding a jug of wine to serve to the king. So now this day they celebrate Dina Day on 30th November. In addition, there was a statue of Dina in Athens showing how strong it was.